Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

Labor day parade, 1882

Labor Day’s Secret Society Connections

Add Labor Day to the vaulted hall of things concocted by secret societies, alongside Madonna’s Superbowl performance and Pancho Villa’s stolen skull

None

Thalidomide Manufacturer Finally Apologizes for Birth Defects, Survivors Say It’s Not Enough

The German drug company Grunenthal broke its fifty year silence about thalidomide recently, but survivors aren’t satisfied

A fishing trawler off the coast of Turkey.

Lighted Escape Hatches Could Help Little Fish Flee Trawlers’ Nets

Rigid illuminated rings could help unwanted bycatch escape from fishing nets

None

Tracking Walmart’s Breakneck Expansion Across the U.S.

From humble beginnings in 1962, today the Walmart empire includes 8,500 stores in 15 countries, with 3,898 proudly hosted on U.S. soil

None

The Oldest Message in a Bottle Ever Found Is 98 Years Old

A Scottish skipper has discovered the world’s oldest message in a bottle, beating the record previously held by a buddy of his

Director cat needs to adjust the composition.

At the Internet Cat Video Festival, LOLcats Become Art

The Internet Cat Video Festival brought LOLcats inside the walls of the gallery

None

The Long History of Americans Debating Empty Chairs

The history of debating empty chairs stretches back to at least 1924

None

We Have No Idea What Makes Us Happy

Psychologists say that humans don’t really know what makes them happy

None

Real-Life Cyborg Heart is Beating at Harvard

Harvard scientists infused rat heart cells with wires and transistors that monitor the tissue’s electrical impulses

Some historic sites, like the Lincoln Memorial, are heavily photographed. But many other significant sites are generally overlooked.

Help Illustrate the Internet With Wikipedia’s Photo Contest

The Wikimedia Foundation is hosting a photo contest, and you could win a trip to Hong Kong

An artist’s conception of a feeding black hole, or quasar.

Astronomers Find More Than 1,500,000 New Black Holes

Recent findings triple the number of known black holes in the universe

The X-ray on the left shows one of the girls’ hands at 2-and-a-half-years old. On the right, her same hand is shown at 12-years old.

50-Year Mystery Surrounding Death of Two Sisters Solved

Doctors discover the genetic cause of an extremely rare, almost always fatal condition called Winchester syndrome

Neil Armstrong giving a different speech as part of a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony.

Neil Armstrong’s Previously Unheard Speech, Recorded One Year Ago

Recorded surreptitiously, the 43 minute-long speech captures Armstrong’s presentation one year prior to his passing

None

Storeowners Hope Cute Little Baby Faces Will Stop Crime

One street in London is hoping to dissuade potential looters by putting a gigantic baby face between them and their loot

None

Watch This Decades-Old WWII Bomb Go Boom

A World War II bomb was discovered by workers the on the site of an old bar that was being demolished, and then blown up the next day

Dianne Ashworth has her eyes, both bionic and natural, tested.

Blind Woman Sees the Light Thanks to Bionic Eye

A patient with no vision was recently outfitted with a bionic eye that restored some of her sight

After a hurricane, you may be experiencing a few conflicting emotions.

“After the Storm” Workbook Helps Kids Deal with Hurricane Stress

The “After the Storm” workbook that helps parents sort out their kids’ feelings following a potentially traumatic hurricane

Here’s How Hurricane Naming Works

Who gets to chose hurricane names, and how do they do it?

None

Playing Video Games At Home Turns 40

The Magnavox Odyssey went on sale 40 years ago, sparking the home video game revolution

None

Teen ‘Sick-Lit’ Should Leave Parents Feeling Queasy

The newly defined genre of “teen sick-lit” is awash with tear-jerking stories of ill adolescents who seek only to find the love of their life during their final days, but researchers say it reinforces negative stereotypes of the ill

Page 1101 of 1120